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British Journal of Cancer logoLink to British Journal of Cancer
. 2000 Mar 21;82(8):1381–1386. doi: 10.1054/bjoc.1999.1077

Bisphosphonates in the adjuvant treatment of cancer: experimental evidence and first clinical results

I J Diel 1, G R Mundy 2; the International Bone and Cancer Study Group (IBCG)1
PMCID: PMC2363374  PMID: 10780514

Abstract

Several animal models, as well as a number of cell culture experiments, indicate a prophylactic effect of bisphosphonates in respect of subsequent bone metastasis. Moreover, in preliminary clinical trials involving patients with advanced breast cancer and local or remote metastases, biophosphonates produced a reduction in new skeletal metastases. This overview summarizes and discusses the results of the latest investigations. It opens with a section on the pathophysiology of bone metastasis, which is followed by a report on animal models and first studies of bisphosphonate treatment as a new approach in systemic adjuvant therapy. © 2000 Cancer Research Campaign

Keywords: bone metastases, bisphosphonates, prevention, prophylaxis

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Selected References

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